There were lots of great collections in Milan (Jil Sander and Marni to name but a few), but after having seen Prada, there is really nothing much left to hear, see or do. Miuccia Prada showed such a rich, intelligent collection, managing to show beautiful clothes, while at the same time making a strong political-feminist statement.
So: If you weren’t interested in political messages, you’d find gorgeous color combinations, three-dimensional embellishments, gems and crystals, classically beautiful gowns and tiny, extremely ladylike handbags. If you wanted weirdness, you’d be happy with the usual pretty-ugly shoes, American Apparel-style leg warmers and sleeveless rugby sweaters worn under elegant dresses. And then, politics: The bras stitched upon coats made you think of the enticement usually associated with them, but the way they were placed on the garments, their shapes and presentation (and the overall styling of the clothes, for that matter) put all sexiness ad absurdum. The strong female faces on the coats and skirts were commissioned by Prada to a group of mural artists; their paintings were also on display in the show’s venue. To quote Miuccia: “I want to inspire women to struggle.”
All together, what on paper may sound like a confounding and incoherent head-scratcher resulted in one of the most creative and innovative collections of Fashion Month so far.